Throughout the 58 or so minutes he was on the Croke Park pitch for Sunday's All-Ireland quarter-final, Mayo's Andy Moran was the subject of boos from a section of Roscommon fans anytime he took up possession of the ball.
Explanations for the abuse included Moran being from Ballaghaderreen, a town which is in Roscommon but whose GAA team plays its football in Mayo. Moran kissing the Mayo crest during an FBD League game earlier this year, a match in which he scored two crucial late goals, has also been offered as a weak rationale.
Ahead of Monday's replay between the two sides, Roscommon management and players have released a statement regarding the treatment of Moran.
The booing of the 33-year-old is condemned and Rossie fans are asked to refrain from booing opposition players in the future.
Roscommon Senior Football management and players would like to publicly thank the many Roscommon supporters who travelled to Croke Park yesterday to support them.
During the game, it was obvious that a section of Roscommon supporters tried to upset Andy Moran by booing him while on or near the ball.
The Roscommon players and management do not condone this behavior from any set of fans but especially our own and believe it has no place in Gaelic games or indeed any sport.
We strongly urge all supporters to please refrain from booing any player.
We as a team have a value set and we always try and play the game in a sporting manner and expect our supporters to support in a similar manner. Thank you for your continued support.
Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
